Problem: The sum of $2$ consecutive odd numbers is $144$. What is the first number in this sequence?
Solution: Call the first number in the sequence $x$ The next odd number in the sequence is $x + 2$ The sum of the $2$ consecutive odd numbers is: $x+ (x + 2) = 144$ $2x + 2= 144$ $2x = 142$ $x = 71$ Thus, the first number is $71$.